2ND BACHILLERATO: REVIEW OF VERB TENSES
TENSE
PRESENT SIMPLE
(“-s” en tercera persona
singular)
(auxiliary do/ does)
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
(“to be” en presente +
V-ing)
PAST SIMPLE
(“-ed” or irregular verbs)
(auxiliary “did”)
PAST CONTINUOUS
(“to be” en pasado + V-ing)
PRESENT PERFECT
(have/has + participle)
en español muchas veces
se traduce como presente
o con la expresión “llevar +
gerundio)
USE KEY WORDS
acciones habituales frequency adverbs
expressions (once a week/
hechos on Sundays, every day)
stative verbs feelings, likes, dislikes
acción ocurriendo ahora now, at the moment
acción en progreso this week, this year
planes en el futuro next Monday, tonight,
tomorrow
acción acabada en el yesterday
pasado last week
two days ago; when
acción inacabada en at eight o’clock yesterday
pasado while
interrumpida por otra as
acción
paralela a otra acción
acción que empezó en how long
pasado y continúa ever
acción que terminó en just
algún momento del pasado already/ yet
pero está conectada con el for/ since
presente recently, lately
EXAMPLES
I often play football
he goes to the cinema once a week
Water boils at 100ºC
I don’t remember his name
He is writing some e-mails now
We are studying Bachillerato this year
They aren’t coming to my birthday party
next weeekend
Yesterday we went to the cinema
We didn’t come to class last Friday
They arrived 20 minutes ago
We were watching TV at 8 yesterday
While/As I was having a shower, the
phone rang
While I was reading a book my sister
was talking on the phone
How long have you waited for me?
Has he ever been to the USA?
We have just finished homework
My brother hasn’t arrived yet
I have learnt English for 7 years
I haven’t seen him recently
PAST PERFECT acción anterior a otra after, before After we had had lunch we washed up
(had + participle) acción en pasado by the time By the time he arrived, I had already left
pretérito pluscuamperfecto already
en español (había +
participio)

PRESENT PERFECT como “present perfect” how long How long have you been waiting for
CONTINUOUS pero con idea de for/ since me?
(have been / has been + continuidad, progreso recently, lately She has been learning English for 7
V-ing) all day long/ all night long years
I’ve been studying all night long

PAST PERFECT como “past perfect” pero for hours When you arrived, I had been studying
CONTINUOUS con idea de contiuidad, all morning for 2 hours
(had been + V-ing) progreso when, before By the time she stopped for lunch, she
had been working all morning

FUTURE SIMPLE horarios tomorrow/ in an hour The exam will start at 10 tomorrow
(will + infinitive) predicciones I think/ I’m sure I’m sure that you will pass your exams
decisiones espontáneas this evening/ later I’m very tired. I’ll go to bed

BE GOING TO intención, planes en el tomorrow/ in an hour We are going to have a party tomorrow
(be going to + infinitive) futuro this evening/ later Look at those black clouds. It’s going to
(conjugar verbo “to be”) evidencia clara de algo next weekend rain

FUTURE PERFECT acción acabada en el by the end of… By the end of November we will have
(will have + participle) futuro by this time next… taken lots of exams
in four months In four months we will have finished the
second term

FUTURE CONTINUOUS acción en progreso en at this time tomorrow At this time next month we will be
(will be + V-ing) futuro at this time next… celebrating Christmas
on Friday... In June we will be doing Selectividad